INC Research and CISCRP Announce Finalists for “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon

September 14, 2016

Fourteen finalists recognized for ideas that demonstrate greatest potential for making an impact in increasing clinical trial awareness

RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 14, 2016 - INC Research Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:INCR), a leading, global Phase I to IV contract research organization, together with the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP), a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging the public and patients as partners in the clinical research process, today announced the finalists for the “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon event. In a competition that inspired nearly 70 entries, 14 ideas submitted by teams from around the world have been shortlisted for their potential to help address the critical need to increase awareness of clinical trial participation among patients, healthcare professionals and the general public. Finalists will convene Sept. 27-28 at District Hall in Boston for a crowdsolving-type event where they will further develop and ultimately present their solutions to the judging panel and the 2016 “Inspiring Hope” Award winner will be named.

“We would like to thank everyone who submitted an idea for the ‘Inspiring Hope’ Ideathon and congratulate our finalists who have submitted some truly innovative approaches to address this important need,” said Clare Grace, PhD, Vice President, Site and Patient Access, INC Research. “We received a very strong response – much higher than expected – and the quality, creativity and diversity of ideas coming from patients and professionals across the clinical research enterprise was outstanding.”

The shortlisted ideas represent a broad spectrum of thinking ranging from an app that matches researchers with patients to a dramatization featuring a pop-up retail pharmacy to a concept that includes working with Google to include a "doodle" for various days of the year honoring female and minority populations who have participated in clinical trials. Another idea focuses on establishing a mobile unit that provides health screening, education and access to clinical trials in rural and inner city areas.

Ken Getz, Founder and Board Chair, CISCRP, noted, “The submissions that were selected as finalists are the ideas that the judges believe hold the most promise in the near-term for spotlighting clinical trials awareness and supporting our goal to develop an engaged community that educates and advocates for clinical research. We look forward to collaborating further with the finalists on their ideas during the event later this month, and to selecting and moving this year’s winning idea into an implementable solution.”

All entries received for the “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon were reviewed by a panel of judges representing a diverse community of stakeholders who evaluated the ideas based on innovation, feasibility of implementation, sustainability and potential for impact in raising awareness of clinical trials, particularly among minority and vulnerable populations in a range of diseases and medical conditions. In addition, entrants were asked to address four problem statements involving clinical research’s role in society, the issue of ongoing participation in clinical studies, more active engagement with patients seeking alternative health care options, and the need to create higher levels of recognition and appreciation for clinical trial volunteers.

Ibraheem Mahmood, CEO of DrugDev, platinum sponsor of the “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon, commented, “Clinical trials present patients and healthcare providers with unique opportunities to treat disease and improve quality of life but 95 percent of the population does not participate due to lack of awareness and misconceptions. We can't let this go on. The Ideathon is a great way to bring new contributors into the clinical trial process and to explore and develop creative ideas through collaboration. It is well-aligned with the DrugDev company mission of helping researchers and patients do more trials."

At the Sept. 27-28 crowdsolving-type event at District Hall in Boston finalist teams will work with an assigned mentor whose role is to help participants with idea development by encouraging team conversation, helping with decision-making and providing constructive feedback to build on a team's idea. The 2016 “Inspiring Hope” Award winner named at the conclusion of the event will receive a $10,000 prize awarded by CISCRP. INC Research and CISCRP will work together with the winning team to progress the winning idea into an implementable solution.

Sponsors for the 2016 “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon include DrugDev, EMD Serono, WIRB Copernicus Group, Greenphire, ePatientFinder, Medidata and qd Solutions along with association partners the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) and the Greater Gift Initiative (GGI). Media partners for the event include CenterWatch and PharmaVOICE.

To learn more about the “Inspiring Hope” Ideathon, please visit www.inspiring-hope-ideathon.com or follow the conversation on social media at #ideas4patients.

About CISCRP

The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and informing the public, patients, medical/research communities, the media, and policy makers about clinical research and the role each party plays in the process. CISCRP provides free education and outreach to the general public and patient communities. Visit www.CISCRP.org for more information or to support CISCRP.

About INC Research

INC Research (Nasdaq:INCR) is a leading global contract research organization ("CRO") providing the full range of Phase I to Phase IV clinical development services for the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries. Leveraging the breadth of our service offerings and the depth of our therapeutic expertise across multiple patient populations, INC Research connects customers, clinical research sites and patients to accelerate the delivery of new medicines to market. The Company was named “Best Contract Research Organization” in December 2015 by an independent panel for Scrip Intelligence, and ranked “Top CRO to Work With” among large global CROs in the 2015 CenterWatch Global Investigative Site Relationship Survey. INC Research is headquartered in Raleigh, NC, with operations across six continents and experience spanning more than 110 countries. For more information, please visit www.incresearch.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter @inc_research.